Despite there being roughly 50 different marigold species, the most commonly known flowers comes from only three species:

Tagetes erecta - known as either the African or American marigold, tagetes erecta is the tallest species of marigold with some plants reaching three to five feet.

Tagetes patula - the French marigold. French marigolds are a bit smaller and more compact in their appearance. Beautiful, but somewhat smaller flowers; French marigolds typically grow between 6 inches to about 2 feet tall.

Tagetes tenuifolia - a great marigold for rock gardening or, any place that's hot and dry. Even more...you can eat the flowers in salads!

Marigolds make the best container flowers and often spill over the each with a burst of color while offering great long-lasting cut flowers.

Marigold Flower Pictures

Visit our Pinterest.com site for a great collection of marigold flower pictures.